I'd be all over a Mini One D.

 

I would sure consider it myself as well. Knowing that gas prices are going to soar even higher I feel good that I drive a MINI but there are also the times that I have to drive an SUV or big truck and those are the days that hurt. If VW can do it...why can't MINI for sure!

 

Interestingly enough I spoke with a German dealer about this that dealt with many Americans and he told me that BMW did a study to determine if the TD should be made available in the states. Most of the people polled would not buy one.

I have driven several cars made by BMW that are diesel fuel driven and they were exceptional cars. Add MINI to that, and I would have bought one if it were available. Even living in Europe I couldn't get a One D unless I bought from a German dealer. :(

 

I would buy one, definitely, given present conditions on the fuel efficiency/emissions front....especially w/ cleaner diesel on the way. That said, I'd be all over an even cleaner offering, too, should that emerge. I'd love to see MINI at the forefront on all this.

It just kills me that, in this day and age, automakers (not MINI thankfully) have the nerve to brag about mpg in the 20s. This whole thing should have been addressed long ago, but then, we were also supposed to have personal rocket packs by now.

 

You didn't get yours? Mine came in the mail last week. I strapped the cat to it and haven't seen him since.

 

If gas prices continue to soar then it won't be long before you will see many automakers going the route of Diesel and Turbo Diesel.

Honda has found that for smaller sedans the hybrid technology is OK and will work well enough. Prices remain rather high and soon rebates will dwindle and end.

For the larger Honda vehicles like minivans and SUVs, soon there will be Turbo Diesel engines to battle the high gas prices.

The MINI ONE D is a great option-
It's been around for quite some time in Europe.
Still fun to drive and great for commuting.

:g rin:

Make mine a ONE "S"

 

California Air Resources Board (CARB) is definitely not fans of active (such as the urea injection) pollution controls - there is too much opportunity for owners to take matters into their own hands and disable the control measures. Or, in the case of urea injection, just not refill the tank.

Even if 1,000 potential owners signed up and put down a $1,000 non-refundable deposit, that wouldn't even begin to cover the cost of certifying the MINI One D for the U.S. market.

While I am a fan of diesels, there are too many alternatives (from the perspective of a regulatory agency like CARB) that get almost as good gas mileage. And hybrids make the case for diesels even less compelling (again, from a regulatory agency perspective). Unfortunately, regulatory agencies tend to view cars as transportation appliances; so I wouldn't lay odds on a diesel car being in the future for California (or the states that have adopted California's emission model).

 

Actually, from a purely toxicity standpoint, gas engines are just as bad or worse, just in different ways. The main issue with diesel engines (and this can be seen in the article you quote) has been particulates. That issue has really pretty much been resolved with better engine management and better fuel. Really the only remaining issue for diesels is NOx, and there are quite a few people working on getting this resolved. Your attitude is a common one for a lot of Americans, most of whom haven't visited Europe and seen how clean a modern Diesel engine can be.

Me personally, I'd buy a D in a heartbeat. I think the Mini's biggest issues are lack of low end torque, and poor gas mileage (for engine/car size), both of which would be resolved by a D.

 

Regardless of whether it is NOx or particulates, or whatever, the diesel has ongoing problems with its emissions relative to other alternatives. There are currently available alternative transportation options and regulatory agencies don't see a need to grant variances to the emission requirements.

 

Yesssssss. I want one.... Please. Build it now.

 

Yes, It'd become my daily commuter, and allow for the MCS to be my week-ender/track car.

 

I'd buy one in addition to my MCS/JCW. I have an 80 mile round trip commute, so I'd enjoy the fuel savings without having to buy a car that handles like a pig (Yaris, Fit, Geo, etc)

Rawhyde

PS That was post #400 for me!

 

I'd take one for sure. Buy in the VAG TDI unit and I'll sign up tonight!

Hee hee!

 

i would buy one with a lot of options for my daily commuter